​CAPE TOWN – Perhaps a few high fives, fist pumping and chainsaw celebrations a la Dale Steyn would have been acceptable for Western Province after a hat-trick of wins during the past month or more in the Sunfoil Three Day Cup competition.

​The Cricket South Africa franchise academies week hosted in Oudtshoorn from Thursday (18th ) until Wednesday (24th January) is a great incentive to develop the right skills and game awareness while embarking on a journey to semi-professionalism, said Henry Williams, coach of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras Academy.

​The Western Province team clashing with the Three-Day Cup champions, Northerns, at WPCC, has been boosted by the presence of the international spinner, Dane Piedt. Apart from Piedt, Carlos Koyana and Michael Cohen, both have points to prove in the clash starting on Thursday.

​Vernon Philander says the first Sunfoil Test match against India starting at PPC Newlands on Friday will ‘set the tone’ ahead of a busy summer of cricket for the Standard Bank Proteas Test squad. The Proteas will follow the three-match Freedom Series against the No.1 ranked India with a four-match contest against Australia, which sets up one of the most challenging home season’s for the Test squad.

Thin fresh green grass on pitch number six might be a South African ally when India and the Proteas go head to head in the 1st Sunfoil Test match from Friday 5th January at PPC Newlands, but Evan Flint, the curator has warned that the dry summer might affect conditions.